Renault Lodgy AMT
According to a report on NDTV, the
Renault Lodgy will be the next recipient of the 6-speed Easy-R AMT automated
manual transmission, which made its Indian debut on the Duster facelift. The
report states that Renault is keen on launching the Lodgy AMT to revive sales.
The ZF-sourced AMT box will be offered
on the 110 PS variant of the Lodgy, just like in the Duster facelift. It is
likely to be made available in two variants – RxL and RxZ – in the seven-seat
configuration.
When launched, the AMT variants of the
Lodgy will cost about INR 50,000 more than the regular manual transmission
variants. Competition as such is non-existent for the moment, as the only MPV
to be available with an automatic transmission is the Maruti Ertiga petrol (a
4-speed torque converter is available on the Ertiga petrol). However, with the
launch of the Toyota Innova Crysta, the Japanese manufacturer plans on
introducing its 6-speed automatic transmission on the diesel variant.
The report also states Renault India’s
intent on launching entry-level variants of the Lodgy for the fleet/taxi
market, and possibly even a petrol variant targeted at buyers with low-usage.
